In the field of tyres, part of the research is aimed at improving performance in terms of roadholding but without this entailing a deterioration in terms of rolling resistance and abrasion resistance.
In fact, as is known to a person skilled in the art, many of the possible solutions able to provide improvements in terms of roadholding necessarily entail a deterioration in terms of rolling resistance and abrasion resistance.
For example, although it is known that an increase in the quantity of silica in the tread compound results in an improvement in roadholding on wet surfaces, it has nevertheless been experimentally ascertained that this causes a deterioration in terms of abrasion resistance.
The need was therefore felt for a compound with technical characteristics such as to give the resulting tread improved performance in terms of roadholding, without this entailing a deterioration in performance in terms of rolling resistance and abrasion resistance.
As is known to a person skilled in the art, polymers have a high rigidity when they are subject to a temperature lower than their transition temperature, which is considerably higher in thermoplastic polymers compared to elastomeric polymers, generally used in tyre compounds.
The Applicant has produced a solution which, by exploiting this characteristic of thermoplastic polymers, is able to meet the above requirements.
Surprisingly, the Applicant has also gone beyond the above requirements. In fact, the solution subject of the present invention has improved performance relative to roadholding, at the same time also improving performance relative to rolling resistance and abrasion resistance.